HDTV is only digital

Sat special


According to a TNS Infratest study commissioned by ASTRA, there are still nearly 1.8 million households in the United States who receive satellite TV analogue. However, since the analogue satellite signal is switched off at the end of April, the affected parties should now react. In most cases only a change of the receiver will be necessary, since the bowl with LNB (Low Noise Block Converter) should already be digitally suitable - if it was installed after 1997.Wenn in the TV picture of the public broadcaster thick bars Through the picture, which point to the shutdown, the satellite system is all foreseeable according to analog. For more information, see the video page 198. How to find out whether the LNB is digital or analog-only: Connect a digital receiver to your system and perform a transmitter search. If only a few programs are displayed in the station list, the LNB is probably only suitable for analogue reception. If there is more than 350 channels on the screen, you have a digital reception unit.


HDTV is currently only available via satellite. Who therefore plans to enter the new high-definition TV world, does not get around the appropriate receiver. The advantage is that it delivers sharpest images and great colors. Which satellite receiver is the right one? Before you buy a satellite receiver, it is advisable to consider which functions are important. In the favorable price segment the manufacturers deliver good receivers without much frills. Most models have, for example, a USB port, but are not PVR (PVR) for personal video recorders. This means that the receiver can store HD or SD content on a hard disk. If the receiving device is equipped with a so-called timeshift function, time-delayed television is also possible. It is advantageous to be able to record a current program while playing a recording from the archive at the same time. If the device has a double tuner, you can even record two programs in parallel, while a third is played. The PVR function is usable with built-in or external hard disk. The latter is connected to the USB or an existing eSATA interface. When buying the external hard drive, make sure that it is AV-compatible and has the largest possible storage capacity, because HD material is a memory eater. A minimum of 250 gigabytes is recommended.


If, besides the standard programs, you also want to receive pay-TV channels like Sky, you have to look for a pay-TV-compatible receiver. In this category there are two variants


On the one hand receivers, in which the appropriate encryption method is installed directly. Your disadvantage: If you want to switch to another payment provider or use additional, the receiver must be exchanged.


The other variant are so-called CI receivers. CI stands for Common Interface and is the universal interface for all encryption systems. Meanwhile, there is also the CI-Plus interface, which is mainly used for the reception of HD-Plus and Sky. CI modules are inserted into the CI slot of the respective receiver, with the aid of which you can use any common encryption system. The CI modules can be purchased separately.